To start, more examples and proof that data storage is being commoditized and is getting cheaper.  The concept of commoditization within the cloud is important because it allows a company to shift their focus from technology to business strategy.  Amazon reduced their storage costs for its Simple Storage Service by up to 19%.  Check out the article to see the new pricing format:

• Amazon Slashes AWS S3 Prices Up To 19%

A second blog post again demonstrates that “the lower end of the stack are becoming utility like need for a cloud spot market?  This blog post talks about that need and Enomaly’s press release, which announced the launch of SpotCloud, a cloud computing clearinghouse and marketplace where buyers can purchase excess cloud capacity from other users.  The author thinks there is a need, although perhaps a bit premature – do you agree?

• Is There a Need for a Cloud Spot Market? Enomaly Thinks So

We couldn’t have a weekly wrap-up without talk of the election.  TechCrunch compiled a list of social media sites that had the potential to help voters make their election day a success.  From being able to find polling locations to the best places to find coverage of the election, this list just proves that social media, and Facebook especially, are trying to extend their reach beyond just the social and into more aspects of your internet life.

• Voting For Dummies: The Online Edition

In the news: Dell acquired Boomi, a cloud integration vendor.  Here are two reactions to the acquisition:

The first giving an overview of Boomi’s integration services before wondering if this was the right move for Boomi:and commoditized” by asking a question that may not be on everyone’s mind just yet:  Is there a

• Dell Moves Up the Stack
  

The second author is also a fan of Boomi but has the same concerns over why Dell would be the one to purchase it and how it will affect customers:

• Panic buying spree hits cloud integration

NetSuite, a cloud ERP vendor, announced that RightNow Technologies chose the cloud over an on-premise alternative.  But the real story is how Oracle lost the deal because of its contract structure, proving again that cloud solutions provide the better protection against vendor lock-in.

• RightNow spurns Oracle for NetSuite

The Chicago Innovation Awards winners were announced this week and included Abbott, CTA, crowdSpring and more.  Read the article for the full run down of winners:

• TechAmerica Congratulates the Winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards

This article provides a case study on multi-tenancy architecture as it relates to business decisions, specifically from the SaaS vendor’s point of view.  The author is a big proponent of single instance, multi-tenancy as the architecture of choice:

• Lack of Multi-tenancy: A Broken Business Architecture?

Additional speakers will discuss cloud computing technologies such as: Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services.

For more information, visit http://www.dayofcloud.com